Waterfall atomizer

ABSTRACT

The intake passageway of the device has converging walls through which a gas passes and over which a flow of water is maintained which cools the gases and retains the walls clean. Certain types of dust and grime in the gas are difficult to wet for removal, and a series of rods in rows in extension of the sloping walls are struck by the flow of water therefrom which breaks up into droplets at the point where the gas expands to mingle with the gas and wet the hard-to-remove particles so that they can be separated more readily therefrom.

United States Patent [72] Inventor GiovanniC.Ziliotto 120 SouthBroadway, Lake Orion, Mich. 48035 [2]] Appl. No. 827,357 [22] Filed May23, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1971 [54] WATERFALL ATOMIZER 4 Claims, 2Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 261/112, 26l/DIG. 54, 55/223, 55/240 [51] Int. Cl B0ld 47/00[50] Field of Search 55/223, 240; 261/76, 78.1,DIG. 54, 108, 109, 110,111, 1 l2 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,057,700 10/1962Gross 26l/DlG. 54

H l l K i 2 l i 3,372,530 3/1968 Zimmer Primary Examiner-Tim R. MilesAssistant ExaminerSteven H. Marlkowitz Attorney-Harness, Dickey & PierceABSTRACT: The intake passageway of the device has converging wallsthrough which a gas passes and over which a flow of water is maintainedwhich cools the gases and retains the walls clean. Certain types of dustand grime in the gas are difficult to wet for removal, and a series ofrods in rows in extension of the sloping walls are struck by the flow ofwater therefrom which breaks up into droplets at the point where the gasexpands to mingle with the gas and wet the hard-tm remove particles sothat they can be separated more readily therefrom. s

1 WATERFALL ATOMIZER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is no known artwhich treats the flow of gas in the manner as recited above and it isfelt that the device of the present invention is new.

RELATED APPLICATION Reference may be had to applicants US. Pat. No.3,429,334, issued Feb. 25, 1969, for the disclosure of a device to whichthe present invention is applied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The patent discloses a gas cleaner of the wetc'ollector type which separates the dust and dirt particles from the airby centn'fugal action as the water wets and removes the particles fromthe gas. The device has an inlet and outlet connected by a helicalconduit through which the air is blown or drawn to have it contact asurface of water located in the helical path. The device of the presentinvention forms an extension at the inlet opening and provides a venturieffect on the entering gas by having a pair of opposite sides of thedevice slope inwardly toward each other and form a reduced opening atthe end of the restricted passageway. A tank of water is provided abovethe intake end of the device for the admission of a predetermined flcwof water over the inner walls thereof. This water cools the gas andmaintains the walls free of the entrained dust and dirt particles.

Substantially aligned with the sloping walls and below the reducedopening, a set of rods are provided parallel to the sloping wall andpreferably in rows in the path of the water cascading from the walls atthe reduced opening. Below the opening, the gas is free to expand at thepoint where the rods are mounted and on which the water will break upinto particles so that it can intimately mingle with the expanding gasand thereby more readily wet the particles therewithin so that they willreadily separate therefrom when passing through the collector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view of an air-cleaningdevice having the gas atomizer device of the present invention appliedthereto; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of the structure illustrated in FIG. I,taken on the line 2-2 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As described more specificallyin the above set forth patent, the separator has an inlet 4 at theentrance end of a duct containing a plurality of helical turns 5, 6 and7 which terminate in an outlet end 8. A water level is maintained in thebottom of the helical turns for wetting the gas and the entrainedparticles which move outwardly against the outer wall thereof. Thewetting of the particles within the gas causes the particles to movefrom the gas onto the wall and move therefrom into the water in theseparator where they collect and from which they are removed.

The present invention pertains to the atomizing device which is mountedabove the intake conduit to the collector which produces droplets ofwater that forcibly impinge on the particles in the gas as it isexpanding during its passage into the collector. As illustrated in FIG.2, an intake conduit 10 has its sidewalls ll sloping inwardly andattached to sidewalls 12 of the atomizing device 13 to form a restrictedopening 14 at the point of juncture therewith. A water tank 15 issecured by a flange 16 to the upper end of the atomizer 13, the top endhaving a flange 17 which is connectable to an intake conduit for the gas(not shown). The tank 15 is of rectangular shape having a trough 18provided with an inner wall 19 over the edge 21 of which the water fromthe trough will flow. Water is continuously delivered to the troughthrough a delivery pipe 22 at a controllable rate. The water flows downthe sidewalls 12 as well as the end walls 23 to kee the surfaces cleanand to cool the gas entering the collector. he an, passing down betweenthe walls 12, will be compressed to a degree by the time it passesthrough the opening 14 and its velocity will thereby increase.

Below the restricted opening 14 the gas will expand and the watercascading from the walls 12 will strike a plurality of rods 25 which arepositioned in two rows Illl planes which are in angular relation to eachother. The cascading water which strikes the rods 25 will be broken upinto droplets which will readily intermingle with the expanding gas andthereby wet the particles entrained therein. This initial wetting of theparticles assists in separating them from the gas when they impinge onhelical walls of the collector. The ends of the rods are sup ported inthe end walls 23 and extend below the restricted opening in the path ofthe water flowing over the walls 12. The rods are mounted in two rows inangular relation to each other or otherwise related so as to be in thepath of flow of the water as it leaves the walls l2. The rods not onlybreak up the water into droplets but also provide turbulence to the gasas it expands, causing the comingling of the droplets therewith and theinitial wetting of the entrained particles.

Any plurality of rods with some variation in their relationship to eachother may be used below the throat of the venturi to meet the differentair conditions and the difference in size of the throat opening. Thewater introduced at the top of the venturi tube will have substantiallythe same velocity as that of the air when passing from the throat at thebottom of the tube. For this reason there can be little impact betweenthe dust and the water even though some of the water breaks up intosmall droplets. The water velocity is reduced in the vertical directionwhen compelled to move laterally upon striking the rods in its path offlow below the venturi throat. This reduction in the water velocity inthe vertical direction and the presence of the lateral component ofmovement thereof creates an impact between the dust particles and thewater, a large portion of which is in droplet form. Experiments haveshown a remarkable increase in efficiency in the dust-collecting processwhen the rods are employed as compared to tests run on the samestructure with the same amount of water and with the rods omitted.

Iclaim:

1. In a waterfall atomizer,, an intake conduit for a flow of gas havingsidewalls and end walls, sidewalls converging toward each other forminga restricted opening at the bottom, a tank for water at the top of theconduit having a shorter inner wall over which the water from asurrounding trough portion flows, and a plurality of rods within theconduit supported thereby below said restricted opening in the path offlow of water from said sidewalls the gravity flow of which strikes therods and produces droplets for wetting particles in the gas.

2. In a waterfall atomizer as recited in claim I, wherein said rods aresupported by the end walls in parallel relation to the sidewalls.

3. In a waterfall atomizer as recited in claim 2, wherein the rods aremounted in two rows in planes that are angular relation to each other.

4. In a waterfall atomizer as recited in claim 3, wherein the planes inwhich the rods are disposed are located substantially in the planes ofthe sidewalls.

1. In a waterfall atomizer,, an intake conduit for a flow of gas havingsidewalls and end walls, sidewalls converging toward each other forminga restricted opening at the bottom, a tank for water at the top of theconduit having a shorter inner wall over which the water from asurrounding trough portion flows, and a plurality of rods within theconduit supported thereby below said restricted opening in the path offlow of water from said sidewalls the gravity flow of which strikes therods and produces droplets for wetting particles in the gas.
 2. In awaterfall atomizer as recited in claim 1, wherein said rods aresupported by the end walls in parallel relation to the sidewalls.
 3. Ina waterfall atomizer as recited in claim 2, wherein the rods are mountedin two rows in planes that are angular relation to each other.
 4. In awaterfall atomizer as recited in claim 3, wherein the planes in whichthe rods are disposed are located substantially in the planes of thesidewalls.